This week, the Colombian embassy in Washington sent Valentine’s Day flower arrangements to U.S. lawmakers, which led to a security warning at the Capitol, as reported by Caracol Noticias.
In collaboration with the Colombian Flower Exporters Association (Asocolflores), the embassy aimed to promote Colombian flowers leading up to Valentine’s Day. Colombian Ambassador Daniel Garcia-Peña took the lead in delivering bouquets to all 535 members of Congress.
In a video shared on social media, Ambassador García Peña highlighted the goal of this initiative: to showcase the significance of trade between the U.S. and Colombia. He stated, “Colombia is the main supplier of flowers to the U.S., and 80 percent of our flower exports go there. This creates about 220,000 jobs in both countries. It’s a great illustration of how our trade can be mutually beneficial.”
He also remarked, “It’s wonderful to see Colombia so filled with love and friendship this weekend.”
However, on Thursday, journalist Julio Sánchez Cristo from Caracol Noticias revealed that he’d received a memo from the Senate Operations Center regarding “Unsolicited flower delivery to Senate offices,” calling for local police to manage any unsolicited flowers that arrive.
Sánchez posted a screenshot of this memo to his personal email account. In response to the controversy, the Colombian embassy acknowledged the delivery of flowers to Congress members, emphasizing that such gestures have historically been part of their practice, in conjunction with U.S. Congressional staff. They claimed that over 90% of the arrangements sent were accepted without issue.
The embassy noted that according to Senate regulations, gifts of intrinsic value like flower arrangements are allowable. They asserted that their deliveries comply with these regulations and mentioned enhanced security procedures regarding the return of any items.
Their statement concluded by highlighting the positive reactions from numerous Congress members, indicating that the gesture was appreciated as a sign of friendship.
As reported by a Colombian newspaper, El Tiempo, flower exports from Colombia to the United States are projected to surpass $1.3 billion by 2025, making up nearly 60% of all U.S. flower imports that year. In the lead-up to Valentine’s Day 2025, around 720 million Colombian flowers are expected to be sent to the U.S. Floriculture represents about 28% of formal agricultural employment in Colombia.
